Monday, March 22, 2010

Vota Asi! (vote this way!)

Image care of www.foodincmovie.com

We got stuck in Puerto Escondido on Monday: 20 minutes after sitting down in the bus station we were told the bus simply wasn't going, as there was a road-block somewhere between where we were and needed to be. This July will see the state elections held in Oaxaca, and true to the political process of Mexico, rallies and disturbances occur to draw attention to community needs at one of the few times Mexican politicians really require the publics approval. While I'm certainly not enchanted with the choices in the Australian political system, there is little in it that would provoke me to a similar course of action.

Shortly after arriving back, we had a restful evening watching a documentary of which I'd previously been unaware, Food Inc. The film looks at the pressure placed on farmers by multinationals to produce low quality yet high quantity produce, talks about E.coli outbreaks due to bad practices, and many other things I could shout about from a soapbox. But rather than me ascending the little podium, have a look yourself.

This is a very important film, a good introduction to Michael Pollan or Eric Schlosser, and a sound reminder that while others may need to stop my bus home to improve their world, we can improve our own and others every time we plan a meal. So, that's the long bow that I'm drawing with my seemingly garrulous post, that as consumers we can vote with dollars and habits, and shouldn't feel helpless about a horrific food system that affects our health, environment, independence and culture. Have hope.